Alive Time or Dead Time? An Inspiring Story about Malcolm X Told by Robert Greene.

American author Robert Greene talks about a powerful concept called “Alive Time or Dead Time.” This idea came to Greene after studying the life of Malcolm X, whose birth name was Malcolm Little. (Thank you for asking)

X was an American Muslim minister, activist, and spokesman for the Nation of Islam until 1964. Though, before that, he was imprisoned for robbery from 1946 to 1952. This time in prison, became one of the most important periods of his life and led him to become deeply involved in the human rights movement.

As Greene explains, “Until that point, the world took everything away from Malcolm X, except for one thing: his ability to turn his jail sentence into an ‘alive time.’”

In his autobiography, Malcolm X wrote that “the defeat, the heartbreak, and the losses” he faced actually contained the lessons he needed to improve as a person. He also believed that “To have once been a criminal is no disgrace. But to remain a criminal, that’s the disgrace.”

With this new understanding of life, Malcolm X turned those six years of suffering and despair into what Robert Greene later called “Alive Time.” Greene explains, “He had nothing else to do with his time but to think and reflect,” and that reflection ultimately helped him become the person he needed to be to fight against social injustice.

Malcolm X’s story made Greene realize that many great thinkers have been shaped in prisons, where they have little to do but think. After his mistake landed him in prison, Malcolm X was determined not to waste his time there. Instead of “serving time,” he made “time” work for him.

In the end, we all have the same choice. We can either let our time be wasted, or we can make it count.

Alive Time or Dead Time?

Malcolm X once said in an interview in 1964, “People don’t realize how one book can change a man’s whole life.”

For him, reading had a huge impact.

In his autobiography, Malcolm X shared that he could spend his whole life reading just to feed his curiosity.

He added, “My alma mater was books and a good library,” meaning that his real education came from reading, not from a traditional school.

“I’ve had enough of someone else’s propaganda,” says Malcolm X, “I’m for truth, no matter who tells it. I’m for justice, no matter who it is for or against. I’m a human being first and foremost; as such, I’m for whoever and whatever benefits humanity.”

This shows how much he valued discovering the truth for himself, no matter where it came from.

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From Greene’s point of view, Malcolm X could’ve easily turned bitter during his time in prison.

He could’ve spent those years plotting his revenge, trying to get back at everyone who wronged him, just out for blood. But he didn’t do none of that.

Instead, he saw it as an opportunity for something bigger.

Just like in the Bible with Abraham, it was a chance for Malcolm to reinvent himself and show incredible strength and determination.

As Joan Didion, an American writer, puts it, “It is the willingness to accept responsibility for one’s life that we tap into the source from which self-respect springs.”

Basically, it’s up to you whether you see what’s happening in your life as something happening to you, or something happening for you.

“We forget that in life,” says author Ryan Holiday, that it doesn’t matter what happens to you or where you came from. What matters is what you do with what happens and what you’ve been given.”

And Mary Anne Radmacher, an author and artist, says, “Courage doesn’t always roar. Sometimes courage is the quiet voice at the end of the day saying, ‘I will try again tomorrow.’” So, even when things get tough, you can still find the courage to keep going, no matter how small the steps.

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Photo Credits:

• First Photo by Observer on Bing images
• First Photo by Unseen Histories on Unsplash
• Second photo by Daniel Chekalov on Unsplash